Et Tu, Email?

The road to publication is difficult. It is fraught with perils, dead ends, and more than its share emotional pit falls, as mentioned before. I know that there are some roadblocks I have yet to encounter, however, I would never have thought that my own email provider would be among them. No joke, my email provider told me 'no'.

Here's what happened: Literary agents have very specific guidelines for writing submissions. Most I've encountered have preferred that the submitting author send an email containing the basic query letter info; name, address, contact info, bio, short synopsis, etc. In addition, they request the first few pages or the first chapter of the writing in question.

Due to the potential of viruses and malware, most do not want attachments so all of these requested items have to be placed within the body of the email. The subject line of the email needs to contain certain specifics as well, though there is some variation in this depending upon the agent. Once you've compiled the requested info in the specified format, you send the query email on, cross your fingers, and hope and pray for a positive response.

Five Years a Choice, A Lifetime of Dedication

Five years ago this month, I made a choice to start living healthier, to frequent the local gym, and to pull myself back from the morbid brink I had found myself teetering upon. I have always been a big guy. Ever since I was a kid, I've been heavy set, chubby, obese. All titles that have a strange power to arrest your self-worth and slay any sense of self-comfort. Though, all labels do in truth. The world is never short on opinions and perception, sad to say, is everything.

Living heavyset in a world that idealizes the lithe and fit provides an interesting paradox, feeling invisible when you take up nearly twice the room as those drawing all the attention. You learn to live with it; accept the dismissive looks and may even start to apologize for your expanded appearance, laugh along with the jokes about people needing two seats in airplanes, etc. All the while, knowing that your girth is measured more than any other aspect of your being. You could be the greatest artist, funniest comedian, even a talented martial artist. But if you were packing a few extra pounds, that's all anyone really ever saw.